Miami Dolphins: Jay Ajayi under microscope with game looming

By Kevin Parvizi | Aug 12, 2015

When Jay Ajayi fell past running back needy teams and into the Miami Dolphins laps in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, many were ready to proclaim the pick a steal for the Dolphins. At the time, I also thought the ‘Fins were getting a good deal out of Ajayi, who looked like a natural in college and clearly had three-down upside with quick feet, a powerful running style, the ability to absorb first content, and plenty of quickness and athleticism.

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Ajayi fell, of course, because of his knee concerns, and he hasn’t done anything to prove that he was drafted too low. In fact, the reviews on him out of training camp have been so poor that some Dolphins fans might be wondering why Ajayi was drafted by the team at all.

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Although he was given positive reviews for his pass protection at Boise State, Ajayi’s blitz pick-up has been so poor that Dolphins exec Mike Tannenbaum firmly stated that his rookie running back will be a “healthy scratch” during the regular season if he doesn’t learn to start protecting the quarterback better.

To make matters worse for Ajayi, he’s dealing with a hamstring injury that has caused him to miss the last couple of practices, and that’s put him further behind the curve. As of right now, the Dolphins have went as far as to list the 6’0″, 221-pound back as the team’s No. 4 RB on the depth chart with Damien Williams and the mildly impressing LaMichael James now Lamar Miller‘s top backups.

There’s little doubt that Ajayi is a more natural runner than either Williams or James, but both of those more experienced backs have been better in training camp and have shown more three-down ability. While Ajayi was a receiving threat in college who once hit 500 receiving yards in a season, his passing game contributions have been put under the microscope due to the Dolphins public disappointment with his pass pro.

Tomorrow, the Dolphins will take on the Chicago Bears at 8:00 p.m. ET for their first preseason game, and perhaps no player has more to prove to the organization than Ajayi. Since the first game is the big stage for the backups and Ajayi is a fourth-string running back, he needs to be able to shake off his hamstring injury and play.

Ajayi needs to take advantage of every opportunity to impress the organization, and his best chance of doing that is by running the football well during preseason games in live action. Defenders of Ajayi have pointed to the fact that he can surpass Williams and James based on actual in-game work, so this is a big first test for him. If he can’t shine against the Bears backups, then he could be in trouble.

There’s no guarantee that he plays since he’s been missing time with a hamstring injury, but unlike injured Cleveland Browns rookie Duke Johnson, Jay Ajayi hasn’t shown any value to the organization. He needs to prove himself, so the pressure will be on him to suit up and perform despite the injury.

Dec 21, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) scores a touchdown past Minnesota Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes (29) in the second half of the game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes teams push rookies or other young players down the depth chart as a motivational tool, but based on the way beat writers have criticized Ajayi this August, it seems like the fourth-string designation is indeed legit. Williams is locked in as the No. 2 RB and change-of-pace guy behind Miller, but with four preseason games on the calendar, Ajayi still has time- and the talent- to catch up, even if his only notable play was a 12-yard run on his lone carry at a scrimmage.

The last real update on Ajayi’s hamstring injury we received was on the 9th, when the Palm Beach Post’s Andrew Abramson passed along news of the injury but added, “It wasn’t immediately known how long he will be out.”

For his sake, let’s hope he’s out there tomorrow against the Bears and healthy enough to show what made him a favorite of draftniks while at Boise State.

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